Helping young people achieve their career dreams

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It’s that time of the year again – Christmas is over, you’ve eaten and spent way too much, and you’re back at university and/or work. New Year resolutions are kicking into action too, and I’m willing to bet that most of us need to add “save more money” onto our list. While it may not be as fun as learning a new skill, saving money in 2019 doesn’t have to be all that difficult – thanks to these handy apps.

Yolt – budget, monitor and saveYolt lets you bring together all of your bank accounts in one place – and helps you understand how you are spending your money and how best you could start saving. Set budgets for each of your spending categories, monitor your bills and subscriptions, search for the best energy deals, and keep track of all your upcoming debits to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Squirrel – stop spending everything as soon as you get itAre you one of those people who spends all your money as soon as you get paid – and is then left struggling for the rest of the month? If so, you need Squirrel now. The app lets you get your salary paid into a separate account and then releases the money to you in weekly instalments so you don’t spend it all at once. It also puts aside the money for your bills until its due – so you don’t have to worry about not having enough to get through the month.

Banking apps – track and save without noticingMonzo and Revolut are two of the best banking apps that allow you to track your spending and save those extra pennies. Both apps come with their own banking debit card for you to use – and send you instant notifications every time you spend on something (as a reminder that you’re parting with hard-earned money). They also allow you to set monthly budgets – and send you reminders to help you keep track of how much of your budget you have left. With Revolut, you can use the ‘Vault’ feature – which automatically adds a small amount of money into your savings every time you spend on something. It’s a great way to add to your savings without you even noticing!

Moneybox – smart investmentsEver thought about investing? Moneybox makes the whole process a lot less daunting for you by investing your spare change for you.
The app rounds up your purchases to the nearest pound and invests the spare change into companies such as Apple, Facebook, Netflix, Disney and Unilever. You can start with as little as £1 and choose from three investment options – ‘cautious’, ‘balanced’ and ‘adventurous’. They also have a Discover feature, which allows you to see an analysis of your savings – and take a glimpse at what your future finances might look like.

Chip – personalised savings planFeel like you can’t afford to save? Chip does the calculations for you and puts aside the amount that you can afford.
The app works so that you hardly notice you are saving by putting aside money every few days automatically. You can also earn up to 5% interest on these savings – and withdraw from your savings anytime if things are getting a bit tight.

CheckoutSmart – cashback at the supermarketIf you find it difficult to save what you already have, why not make use of the cashback deals available to you? CheckoutSmart helps you earn cashback when you shop for your groceries, as well as offers great supermarket deals and new products that you could try for free. Before heading to the store, check the app for deals – then buy the products in store, upload a picture of your receipt to the app, and cashback will be credited to your account automatically. One user said they had earned £1,000 cashback in a year! Other great cashback apps include TopCashback and Quidco.

Voucher apps – get codes for your favourite productsThere are so many voucher apps to choose from. Some of our favourites include VoucherCodes, Vouchercloud and Wowcher. With VoucherCodes, you can save at big UK brands such as Debenhams, ASDA, John Lewis, H&M and many others. They offer online discounts, as well as discounts in store and discounts near where you are. Vouchercloud is great too, offering discounts for restaurants, fashion retailers, travel, technology and entertainment. Meanwhile, Wowcher offers discounts across a range of categories too – including health and fitness (for those of you who have that on your resolution list too).

Idealo – pay the right priceThere’s nothing more annoying than buying something – only to discover that you could have got it for cheaper elsewhere. Idealo takes care of that problem for you, allowing you to scan the barcode on any item and check out other retailers that sell the same item – and what price they sell it at. It works for a range of items, including electronics, jewellery, cosmetics, and fashion. You can also favourite items and have the app alert you when it reaches your target price.

MySupermarket – compare prices before you buySimilar to Idealo, mySupermarket is here to help you get the best deal when you do your grocery shopping. Through the app, you can create grocery lists – and then let the app tell you where the best place is to buy the items on your list.It also offers exclusive cashback vouchers and suggestions on how you can save even more.

Stocard – make use of your loyalty pointsMany of us have loyalty cards for so many different retailers that we often forget to make full use of them.The Stocard app digitises all your loyalty cards into one handy app. When you’re in the store, all you have to do is bring up the relevant barcode and have it scanned by the cashier to receive your loyalty points. The app also lets you discover coupons and discounts for your favourite stores.

Money DashboardIf you’re someone who has many different bank accounts, this is the app for you. Money Dashboard brings all your bank accounts together in one place, helping you save money and budget more efficiently. Track your spending across both your current and savings accounts – and make use of the dashboard charts to see how you are spending your money (groceries, leisure, bills). You can then make informed decisions about how to spend and save your money for the year ahead.